Googling other people's stories

[kmm110]

Does anyone else seem to have this problem? It's not so much symptoms I google, it's personal stories of people (usually my age) who have/had the disease I am currently worried about. I can't help but search the internet for message boards and support group sites. It unfortunately makes it more realistic to me, like "if this can happen to her/him, why can't it happen to me?"

I also would like some advice on how to stop this. I feel as though I am looking for reassurance but googling just puts more ideas in my head. Sitting in an office at a computer ALL day doesn't help

[ejmommy]

Yes I've found this is the absolute worst thing you can do. Message boards of people with the illness you fear is not the place you want to be! Been there done that. I don't really have any tips on stopping besides just trying to distract yourself with something else. I know that's a hard thing when you sit at a computer all day. But you will be much better mentally for it.

[Smalm]

What disease are you currently worried about? if you tell me that I can help you with your fear.

[ceh1354]

I have done what you are doing. No one can tell you what to do to stop, just do it. Don't search anymore. And for subjects that are that specific, you really have to type stuff in on purpose.

First off, if you're at work, you probably shouldn't be googling personal stuff, right? LOL.

Think about how awful you feel afterwards. How when you read something that scares you, the blood drains out of your face and your stomach drops and you feel terrified the rest of the day. No one wants that. So just don't do it. Stop torturing yourself. You won't get reassurance, because as soon as you get it, you can't stop reading and you come across 3 more things that scare the poo out of you.

You have control over this, just. stop. You can do it!!!

[hypomom]

What do you do to stop? You stop. Simple as that. Everytime you go to google say "Is this going to help me or upset me?" and then only YOU can choose to NOT google.

[vanadio]

http://jco.ascopubs.org/content/29/25/e716.full

I read this and i'm totally terrified now!!!!!! I cant even think, just want to cry 

[ceh1354]

I'm sorry. I have HA also and know how everyone feels. I really do.

But if you purposely look up and willfully read this stuff, IT'S GOING TO SCARE YOU!!!! Stop doing it!!! No one is forcing you to do this.  And I hope people aren't clicking on that link.

[vanadio]

I'm sorry. I have HA also and know how everyone feels. I really do.

But if you purposely look up and willfully read this stuff, IT'S GOING TO SCARE YOU!!!! Stop doing it!!! No one is forcing you to do this.  And I hope people aren't clicking on that link.

I have some of those symptoms! i dont know what to do... i'm totally at panic. My symptoms started at the same age...

[eddarun]

I´m always trying to google with good intentions.  Thrying to find some bening reason for my symptoms.  I start by googleing something like "high body temperature because of anxiety" and always end up reading about some poor young person dying from cancer....HATE IT!   It has gotten so bad I don´t even read the news because there are always some horror stories about sick celebs!

[Cattia]

I have recently had a google relapse myself and it has made my anxiety a million times worse. It's so true that even if you find one thing that reassures you, your mind is going to hold on to all the things that made you abroad and you will keep going over them and over them in an endless cycle. The compulsion to google can be so strong, it's almost like a physical sensation that you have to satisfy, but the only way through it is to sit with the discomfort and agitation of not doing it. It's so, so hard, I dint think anyone underestimates the wilpower and effort it takes, but you've got to try to think about what you're doing yo yourself every time you do it.

[oregoncoastlady]

Vanadio, I'm curious about the symptoms you are talking about.

[vanadio]

Vanadio, I'm curious about the symptoms you are talking about.

- Hair Loss
- Twitching
- Fat change until now (increase of abdominal fat and decrease on peripheral fat)
- Acid reflux
- Sometimes numbness

I had a myocarditis in 2009. I recovered totally (I did ECG, x-rays, specific blood tests...) and everything was just fine. After that in May 2010 i start experiencing these symptoms... I did MRI to the brain, EMG, blood tests, ultrasound to adrenal glands, and a lot more tests...Everything was fine.  I did a new blood test in 2012. Went to 3 doctors and they said its anxiety, but i dont believe it. I'm a 20 years male.

I'm sick, i dont know what i have Cushing or Carcinoid cancer.

[oregoncoastlady]

Vanadio, it sounds like you have had quite a lot of testing done. Your symptoms could mimic many things. I'm sure there are folks here who have experienced the same symptoms as you have. With all the tests coming out fine, at some point you have to believe you are okay.

Also, for everyone Googling  real life stories of illness...I think that is even worse than just Googling symptoms. Now you are arming yourself with "proof" of your imagined disease. No good will come of that.

[vanadio]

Vanadio, it sounds like you have had quite a lot of testing done. Your symptoms could mimic many things. I'm sure there are folks here who have experienced the same symptoms as you have. With all the tests coming out fine, at some point you have to believe you are okay.

Also, for everyone Googling  real life stories of illness...I think that is even worse than just Googling symptoms. Now you are arming yourself with "proof" of your imagined disease. No good will come of that.

I really would like to believe in that and i want to, its just these strange symptoms... No one here seems to have the same, specially that abdominal fat thing...

[rr2005]

Googling personal stories scares the crap out of me too. I lay awake thinking of those poor souls and their families that I read about. So I quit doing, and you must stop too! Vanadio, the symptoms you just listed are all classic anxiety symptoms and I've had every one of them. There can be a lot of reasons for increased body fat in certain areas. Stress hormones are notorious for causing fat in the abdominal area. You've had many tests. You're fine and you've got to block out that voice that keeps telling you you're not. I know, it's hard, but you have to fight it.

[bridetobe]

Some one on here posted once that if you google looking for personal stories of people who have a certain illness ALL YOU WILL FIND is people who have that illness. They also pointed out that we never google about how testing saves lives or about our HA. I found this to be so true! Heart issues are my issue of the moment and if you went through my computer history a few days ago you would have found nothing but ridiculous searches for people my age with the problems I feared. I guess its a seek and you shall find type of idea.

[toworryornottoworry]

I like to call this "bitterness syndrome". The people on the particular forum are bitter that they have whatever disease and try to comfort themselves by making others believe it could or is currently happening to them. It makes them feel less alone and isolated.

[RNwithanxiety]

This is my number one trigger and the thing that will send me to my deepest panic that I can't get out of for months and usually ends with a HUGE bill for expensive unnecessary tests. I ended up getting a colonoscopy at 23 because I read stories of people in their twenties with Colon cancer. It makes your fear seem so real that you are without a doubt convinced you have your feared disease. I absolutely will not allow myself to look at stories anymore

[jennmarie]

I'm horrible with this! I will google for hours, find doctors within my area just incase I develop the illness, and find personal success stories incase I develop the illness, that way I can say " oh they are dealing with it this way" or " oh well if this works for them then there is hope for me if I get it".. Sometimes I feel so bad I have to hide it from my bf because he just shakes his head and tells me to stop. I've gotten better with it and am doing cbt, but I've had a bad HA flare about blood clots and that just sky rocketed my googling again. Usually I will google for a couple of days about something when my anxiety has peaked, then it will start to subside after a few days of googling.... But of course some other illness pops in my mind and starts the google cycle again. It really doesn't help but it's so hard not to get online and find yourself 15 levels deep in a rabbit hole of information.

[vardnas]

I also would like some advice on how to stop this. I feel as though I am looking for reassurance but googling just puts more ideas in my head. Sitting in an office at a computer ALL day doesn't help

This is the crux of the hypochondriac's problem, right? That googling feels so right in the moment but ultimately leads to more fear.

The only way to stop this is to want to stop it. And by that I mean, you're never going to be able to FORCE yourself not to google. It'll never work that way, because in a moment of weakness or fear, you'll give in, get scared, AND feel badly about yourself for "giving in." What I mean by wanting to stop is instead of just focusing on not googling, you should instead focus on trying to get over your anxiety. Seek treatment, be it professional or self-help. Practice good self care—exercise, eat well, meditate, cultivate hobbies. Spend some time trying to get down to the ROOT CAUSE of your anxiety. As you do these things, and you start to get your stress level down, you'll start to feel better and you'll begin to NOT want to run to google every five minutes.

It's not an easy or fast fix, by any means, but it is the best way.